Lismore Youth Club – The Big Dig

(In association with the Time Team)

On Sunday 29th June 2003, 19 young people and a few older friends! Tramped over the hills on Killean Farm to the site of,
what is believed to be, an old Smithy. This was arranged by the Youth Club and run in conjunction with the Time Team. The idea
was to open a test pit of 1 metre square and no more than 60cms deep to find out what lay below.

There were 4 teams involved in the dig. They each took turns to dig, sort, riddle and clean the finds. Water was carried
up from the burn for the cleaning and all the finds were cleaned with toothbrushes. The area was gridded and each of the teams
had a quarter to dig and explore. All the finds were recorded on a paper grid.

At the end of the days there were lots of different bits of pottery and glassware, some older than others, but mostly
domestic in use. Part of a leather boot, complete with the tacks. A strange stone with striations on it, it may be man made.
Lots of whelk and cockle shells (whoever worked or lived here obviously liked seafood). A small amount of iron – may be
parts of horseshoes or may be slag and a piece of flint which may have been used for scraping.

Everyone had a great time – the weather was fantastic, the company noisy but good humoured and the midges stayed away.
And there was juice, biscuits and sweets during and after the dig for jobs well done. Jean and Bob brought a plentiful supply
of drinking water to the site.

We would like to thank Duncan for all his help before, during and after the dig and Stuart, Jean, Bob, Deirdre and Jane for
all their help on the day.